New User Questions

[stevehaas]

I am just beginning to evaluate BC for use in my company. Our main need is to be able to compare and sync two folders on different computers containing a number of project folders. Within each project folder is a nested hierarchy of other folders that we set up when we create a new project. Obviously, not all of the subfolders will receive files right away, but most do over the course of the project. My questions are:

1. Can BC be setup to sync even empty subfolders? The standard bi-directional sync doesn't create any of the empty folders on the receiving computer.

2. If we delete a project folder on one computer (either becuase the project never happened or it was completed), can BC be setup to delete it as well on Computer #2 (preferrable with a security caution)? Now, if I intentionally delete the folder from Comp#1, the sync will see it missing and add it right back in from Comp#2.

3. A similar question relates to folder names. If the name of the project changes and we update this on Comp#1, is there a way for BC to know to change it on Comp#2, rather than treating it as an entirely new folder, causing the sync to put both old and new folders on each computer?

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but this is a start.

Thanks,
Steve

[Craig]

1. Check the "Create empty folders" option in the sync dialog. If you're using scripts, add "create-empty" option to the sync command.

2&3. BC has two sync types, "update" and "mirror". Update syncs copy newer and orphaned files; they never delete anything. The bidirectional update just copies the newer and orphaned files from each side.

The Mirror sync makes the target folder an exact copy of the source folder, and it will delete files and folders. In this mode, only one side can be modified at a time, since if both sides were it would overwrite some of your changes.

If you're only making changes in one directory at a time, and synching in between, the mirror sync will work for you. If you're making changes in both directories and you want BC to intelligently merge them (including deletes), the predefined syncs won't work. BC just compares the two folders as they exist right now, and we can't no whether a missing file represents a new one or a deleted one without knowing what that state was after the last sync. It is possible to set up a sync that does that using snapshots and the "Copy to Folder" command, but it's not exactly automatic. Making it more automated and comparing with the previous state is on the wishlist, but I can't say when it will be ready.

If that's what you need, there are other sync products available that do handle this, but I haven't used any of them enough to suggest one.